Tobacco-leaf hanger.



No. 721,615. PATBNTED FEB. 24. 1903.

w. w. SMITH. v

TOBACCO LEAP HANGER.

. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 20, 1902. NO MODEL.

2/96, use:

' UNITED STATES T PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. SMITH, OF BROWNS SUMMIT, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGN OR OFONE-HALF TO JAMES H. MONEILL, OF BROWNS SUMMIT, NORTH CAROLINA.

TOBACCO-LEAF HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,615, dated February24, 1903. Application filed December 20, 1902. Serial No. 136,050. (Nomodels To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L'WILLIAM W. SMITH, a citizen of the UnitedStates,'residing at Browns Summit, in the county of Guilford and Stateof I North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Tobacco-Leaf Hangers; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description The object of my invention is theproduc-.

tion of a device for holding the leaves of tobacco-plants positivelybetween the members and with a uniform pressure,-even though the sameare of unequal thickness.

Another object of my invention is the construction of a device which canbe supplied with the leaves, and said leaves by means of theconstruction can be positively secured between the parallel members ofthe hanger.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combinations andarrangements of parts, as hereinafter fully described illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed outin the claimshereto appended. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myinvention, showing the parts assembled and the device carrying a numberof leaves. Fig; 2 is a perspective View of my invention, showing themembers disassembled. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional end view of myinvention, illustrating the parts assembled and a stem retained betweenthe same.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawlngs.

1 designates the parallel members, which may be formed from any suitablematerial.

7 The members are positively secured near one of their ends by means ofa coiled spring 2, said spring having looped ends 3 and suitablesecuring means 4. The coiled spring 5 is permanently secured near theopposite end of one of the members, said spring having a loop 6 formedat one of its ends and a book locking device 9, comprising a coiledspring, having'one of its ends forming a hook lOand its oppositeendprovided with a loop 1].,which is permanently securedto one of themembers '1' by suitable means 12.

i The hook 10 of the spring 9 is adapted to engage suit'able means 13,mounted upon the oppositemember 1,when the members are secured ina"locked position. Owing to the construction of the spring 9, it not onlyprovides suitable locking means, but also provides means for engaging ahook for suspending the hanger, as is indicated in dotted lines inFig. 1. -A hook or nail 14 can be employed for the purpose of engagingthe spring 9, and thereby suspend the hanger.

In operation the springs 5 and 9 can be easily detached from one of theparallel members, and the said detached member can be quickly swung outof position and a row of leaves placed ina horizontal position when thedevice is placed upon theground in the been placed in position themember'which has been swung out of the parallel position can be placedover the same, and the spring 5 by means of the hook 7 can be easilyconnected to the said member, and before the member which has been swungout of position is permanently locked in a parallel position with thecorresponding member the hook 10 on the spring 9 is placed intoengagement with the suitable means 13.

The coiled springs permit of the retraction of the members, as theleaves, which are placed between the same in a green or unripecondition, shrink, and therefore would, if retained together by means ofa cord or like device, become detached therefrom; but owing to theconstruction of my invention the parallel membersconform with theshrinkage of said leaves. p g

One of the great advantagesof my invention is that the hanger can befilled in the field by detaching one of its ends and swinglng thedetached memberout of position and field or a house, and after theleaves have 7 after the same is filled can be easily and quicklyassembled and permanently locked.

In the foregoing description I have described the preferred form of myinvention; but I do not limit myself thereto, as I am aware thatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit ofmy in vention or sacrificing the advantages thereof, and I thereforereserve the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scopeof my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A tobacco-hanger comprisinga plurality of members, means flexibly and permanently connecting saidmembers together at one of their ends, flexible detachable securingmeans detachably attached at their opposite ends for retaining such endstogether, and flexible locking means intermediate the length of saidmembers, substantially as described.

2. A tobacco-hanger comprising two members, a flexible connectionpermanently securing said members together retained upon one side neartheir ends, a flexible connection detachably secured near the oppositeend upon the same side, and a flexible hanging and locking deviceinterposed intermediate the ends of the members upon the opposite side,substantially as described.

3. A tobacco-hanger comprising two members, a coiled spring having aloop at each of its ends, each loop permanently secured to one of themembers, a coiled spring having a loop at one of its ends and a hook atthe other, means for permanently securing the looped end to a member atone of its ends, and means for engaging the hooked end of said springupon the parallel member, and a detachable coiled spring locking andsuspending device interposed intermediate the ends of said members,substantially as described.

A. A tobacco-hanger comprising two members, a coiled spring having anextended loop at each end, means for permanently securing said loops tothe members near one of their ends, a coiled spring havinga loop and ahook detachably secured upon the same side of the members near theopposite ends, and a coiled spring forming a locking and suspendingmeans permanently secured to one member and detachably secured to theother interposed centrally upon the opposite side of the members,substantially as described.

5. Atobacco-hanger comprising two members, flexible means permanentlyconnecting said members together at one of their ends, flexible meansdetachably securing said members together at their opposite ends, andflexible locking means arranged centrally of said members, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

WILLIAM W. SMITH.

WVitnesses:

JAMES H. MoNEILL, ARCHIE J. LAMBETH.

